Reserve unit mobilizes

Command Sgt. Maj. Dawn Lepinski and Lt. Col. Kevin Ellson, commander, case the colors for the 2215th Mobilization Support Battalion, 2nd Mobilization Support Group, 85th Support Command, March 21, 2014. The unit is mobilizing for a year to Fort Bliss, Texas. (Photo by Andrea Stone)

By Andrea Stone

Mountaineer staff

In a ceremony March 21, 2014, the Soldiers of the 2215th Mobilization Support Battalion, 2nd Mobilization Support Group, 85th Support Command bid farewell to Family and friends. The unit cased its colors in preparation for an upcoming mobilization to Fort Bliss, Texas, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. “Your current mission is extremely important,” said Col. Kimberly Bodoh, commander, 2nd Mobilization Support Group. “You are at Fort Bliss to ensure that we have done everything we can (for) Soldiers before they deploy. And upon their return, you’re critical to the demobilization process, ensuring we have addressed any key issues before they return home.” The unit of 16 Soldiers will be mobilized for a year to support Army Reserve and National Guard troops heading to the Middle East. “We are the last faces the unit will see before they go into harm’s way, and the first faces that they see when they return. It is our solemn duty to make sure that we take care of these warriors, both before they deploy and when they return,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Ellson, commander, 2215th Mobilization Support Battalion. For 1st Lt. Alexis Gonzales, this is her first mobilization. “We’re definitely ready. We’ve been spending the past couple of months on active duty preparing. We’ve said all our goodbyes, and I’m excited to go and have a change of pace,” she said. While the Soldiers may not be deployed, the importance of their service was emphasized. “As men and women in uniform, we dedicate ourselves to service to our nation, always prepared to go wherever we may be needed,” Bodoh said. “In some cases, this may be a deployment overseas, as many of you have done in the past. Other times, it may be stateside to support the readiness of those who have been called upon to deploy to Afghanistan or other locations.”